Derailment-guard.



E. L. FITZ GIBBON.

DERAILMENT GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1 915.

Patented Apr. 4, I916;

Edward L. flaws/90w,

@ZMW

A 110mm.

EDWARD L. FITZ GIBBON, J3 BROOKLYN, NEW SZ'DEK.

DERAILMENT-GUAED.

ll il *l 8, 2241.

Application filed April 14.,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. Fr'rz GIB noN, born in the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Derailment- I Guards.

This invention relates to derailment guards and more especially to means for gripping the rails on each side of the car and adjacent to the wheels to prevent the truck from leaving the track or to check the movement of the wheels and operated by air, steam or other desired fluid, but which can be raised and released when switches or crossings are reached, as will be more fully described in the following specification, set forth in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1, is aside view of a car truck showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a cross sectional view through the truck and on the line 2-2. Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view through the gripping block. Fig. 4, is an enlarged side view of the same with one grip removed.

That the device may follow the track, it is secured to the car truck and is supported by the bar 5, or otherwise secured adjacent to the wheel. It consists of a block 7 of hollow metal and whose sides 8 are arcs of the wheel tread 9 while its lower end 10 is parallel with the rail 11 and contains the ball bearings 12 which play upon the rail so as to prevent friction if the block is pressed too low in that direction, and these balls 12 are held in their sockets by a plate 12 secured to the bottom of the block. The block 7 is provided with an opening 13 and within the same on each side of the block is pivoted the grips 14, both adapted to extend downward and in toward the web 15 of the rail as shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of the block is made with the slotted flange 16 and through the slots 17 pass bolts 18 which suspend the block but allow it to move along the supporting bar 5 as above referred to, and at one side of the block is a socket 19 in which is bolted one end of a piston rod 20 whose piston 21 works in the cylinder 22 and is actuated by compressed air, steam or other fluid supplied by the pipe 23. The operating fluid is admitted through the valve 24 whose plug may stand in the three positions shown by the three dotted radial lines and supply the pipe and cylinder to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4i, 21916. 1915. Eerial No. 21,484.

force the block'against the rim of the wheel to act as a brake, to be neutral as shown in the drawings, or to connect a pipe 25 with the supply pipe 26 to actuate the piston 27 of the cylinder 28 to throw the levers 29 upward and outward to open as shown in Fig. 3. The lower edges of the grips are curved so that on approaching a switch or other obstruction at the side of the rail they will automatically raise themselves but drop back when released. The grips are inclined to drop by gravity but in order to insure their etlectual action, springs 30 are employed, and springs 31 encircle the piston rod 32 to return the levers 29 to their inoperative position shown in dotted lines.

The operation of applying the block to the wheel and gripping the rail are simultaneous but when it is desired. to raise the grips, the block is always released consequently the valve 2 1 may occupy any of the positions shown, and the pipe 25 in order to provide for the slight play of the lock may be flexible.

l fhen the car to which this device is applied travels at a high rate of speed the grips may occupy the position shown in Fig. 2 and where it will be seen that one side or the other oi the truck is prevented from leaving the rails. Derailment under these conditions is almost impossible.

While the block may be supported by the truck beam 6 it is obvious that it may be carried by that part or the truck below the springs thereof in order to prevent undue movement. (lther arrangements and modifications may be resorted to without depai'ting from the essential features above described.

llfhat I claim as new is:

1. In derailing guard, the combination with a truck, of blocks having openings and suspended from the truck, anti-friction rollers at the bottom of the blocks, grips pivoted in the openings in the blocks and having curved lower edges extending beneath the heads of the rail, means for holding down the grips, and means for releasing the same.

2. In a derailing guard, the combination with a truck, of blocks with openings carried by the truck and adapted to engage the heads of the rails, anti-friction rollers in the lower face of the blocks, grips pivoted in the o oenin s and ada ted to o erate below the heads of the rails, springs adapted to press the grips into engagement wlth the grips 1 lthe rails, and a cylinder and piston for releasing the grips.

3. In a derailing guard, the combination with a truck, of blocks having openings and carried by the truck, anti-friction rollers in the lower face of the block and adapted to contact with the rail head, grips with curved j aws at their lower ends and pivoted in each side of the openings, springs se- 10 cured to the blocks and adapted to press the grips downward, a cylinder Within the EDWARD L. FITZ GIBBON.

Witnesses HAZEL M. Coon, BERTI-IA A. DAY.

Copies of this patent iney be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

